Tuesday, 19 July 2016

☀☄ Because I Love You - Tori Rigby

“emotional and heartfelt read” – Laura H (The Voluptuous Book Diva) “one of the most amazing books I have ever read and a great contemporary read” – KittyKat (Goodreads Reviewer) “It's one of those books where everything worked really well together. The story. The characters. The relationships. And the writing. It was just so beautiful.” – Nicole (Bookish Thoughts)

Her friends treat her like she’s carrying the plague, her classmates torture and ridicule her, and the boy she thought loved her doesn’t even care. Afraid to experience the next seven months alone, she turns to her ex-boyfriend, Neil Donaghue, a dark-haired, blue-eyed player. With him, she finds comfort and the support she desperately needs to make the hardest decision of her life: whether or not to keep the baby.

Then a tragic accident leads Andie to discover Neil’s keeping a secret that could dramatically alter their lives, and she's forced to make a choice. But after hearing her son’s heartbeat for the first time, she doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able to let go.

My goal today is to make you smile. There's a gift waiting for you in the kibongi Market. Give the clerk your name. It'll tell you where to go next.

Because I love you, Neil.

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I held Ethan for an hour, memorizing his face, his smell, the feel of his soft skin. Hiw eyes were a vivid, deep blue, and the few fine hairs of his head were the color of sand. He fit so perfectly in my arms. I couldn't stop staring, touching his cheek, rubbing his tiny fingers between mine.

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"A degree from Harvard, a billion-dollar music contract — nothing would mean anything without you. Every song I write is about you. Every note I play is for you. If you want, we can talk about what to do about Ethan, but I will not let you walk out that door."

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Neil's eyes had closed, and a tear rolled down his cheek. I wanted to run to him, to throw my arms around him and apologize and take back everything I said. But I knew I had to do this.

To let him go.

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Even if I did manage to drop out of high school and find a job that paid a decend wage, I couldn't provide for a baby by myself. I couldn't raise a baby in poverty — I wouldn't.

My son deserved so much more. But how the hell was I supposed to let him go?

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He played the lost note and puased before opening his eyes. They were red but when he set down his guitar and spoke, I never woud've guessed that, moments before, he'd laid his sould on his guitar strings.

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"When I tell you I love you do you think it's because I believe you want to hear the words, or because I'm trying to start a conversation? God."

He flung his arms out to his sides "I say it to remind you that you are the best damn thing that has ever happened to me. And I will spend every last breath fighting for you."

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I'd been so afraid that Jodi would have considered me a burden, that she would've hated me for ruining her life, like I originally loathed my baby for messing up mine. But that was so far from the reason she'd placed me for adoption.

"She had loved me, Mom", I said, my voice shaking.

"I know, sweetheart, I could've told you that. The fact that she put you first says it all."

Adopted at three-days-old by a construction worker and a stay at home mom, Tori Rigby grew up with her nose in a book and her fingers on piano keys, always awaiting the day she’d take her own adventure. Now, she goes on multiple journeys through her contemporary and historical romances.

She longs to live in the Scottish Highlands, and her favorite place in history is Medieval England—she’d even give up her Internet and running water to go back in time!

Tori also writes high-concept genre fiction as Vicki Leigh, and when she isn’t writing, she’s kicking butt in krav maga or attending classes to learn how to catch bad guys.